Housing assistance for single mothers

When you have a kid to care for, nothing is more important than a safe place to live, but that is not easy to come by as a single mother. When trying to balance any number of jobs, motherhood, and providing the necessities for the kids, it’s hard to go at it alone.

Fortunately, there are resources to help those most deserving of some relief. Some are provided by privately-owned organizations, and others by different departments of the government, but both have one goal: to keep struggling families off the streets and to give them stability.

Affordable Housing

Because many jobs are located in larger cities, nearby housing has astronomical prices. This is where affordable housing comes in. There are programs specifically for single mothers that help them and their children obtain places to live despite not falling in the average income range of the area.

One of the programs is the public housing program provided by HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) where the government helps single mothers who fall within thirty to fifty percent of the area’s median income locate alternative living situations. Because of limited resources, applicants for affordable housing must provide information to prove their need and reliability.

Emergency Housing

While this type of housing is temporary, emergency housing acts as a savior for those left with no other options. This is where the non-profit sector comes to the rescue. While these charities and organizations receive government subsidies for helping those in need, they are largely private entities.

When a woman and her children lose their current living situation and have nowhere to go, these places will help put them up in temporary homes such as hotel rooms and apartments. Emergency housing’s main purpose is to stay available at a moment’s notice, making sure no one has to worry about where they will sleep that night.

Low-income Housing

Low-income housing is exactly what it sounds like. It is there in both private and public varieties to help those who work three jobs to make ends meet. For privately-subsidized housing, HUD provides apartments and other housing to families at a reduced rate. You can either visit a housing office in person or or search available apartments online.

Then there is public housing which is specifically aimed at low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled, meaning single mother status will actually put you at an advantage for receiving assistance.

Rental Assistance

Rental assistance aims to stop families from having to uproot their lives due to high living costs. Instead of helping by relocating single-mother households to more affordable housing, rental assistance programs help those in need by paying part of their current rent.

While charitable organizations such as the Salvation Army grant this type of relief, HUD and other government departments like the Treasury are the most reliable providers. Like affordable housing, applicants must give a lot of information and meet a number of guidelines to ensure need and dependability.

Because of the nature of this type of assistance, it usually has the quickest turnaround, meaning you get peace of mind quickly.

Conclusion

With everything that goes into keeping a family together, the basic necessities should never be the biggest worry. These programs help single mothers stop fretting about where to live and how to pay the rent and instead let them focus on the most important thing: their children.

Outside help with finding affordable housing and keeping up with the rent means more time and money to focus on school, doctor’s visits, reliable transportation, you name it.

All you have to do to get started to contact one of these many resources and start making your way towards a less stressful living situation today.